Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications

Louisiana Tech women’s basketball’s Autumn Smith was selected as one of 10 recipients for the Conference USA Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship, as announced by the league office on Thursday.

Smith recently graduated from Louisiana Tech with her bachelor’s in biology with a pre-med concentration while maintaining a 3.54 GPA. She is a four-time CUSA Honor Roll recipient and a 2021-22 CUSA Academic Medalist. She plans to continue her education in a physician’s assistant program.

The Arlington, Texas, native is a four-year member of the Lady Techsters and appeared in 82 games. She shot 34.4 percent from the field and 32.6 from long range for her career. She had a career-high 15 points on 5-6 shooting from three in a win over Central Baptist on December 19 during her senior year.

This marks the 17^th year the award has been named after Dr. Jim Castañeda, who served Rice for 46 years as an educator, coach and Faculty Athletics Representative before he passed in 2008. Every season, CUSA grants a $4,000 scholarship to distinguished graduates selected by the league’s Faculty Athletics Representatives and approved by the Conference USA Board of Directors.

2025 Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients
Mathys Lefebvre, FIU, Men’s Soccer
Hannah Buffington, Jax State, Softball
Tianna Rivera, Kennesaw State, Women’s Soccer
Taiva Reinertson, Liberty, Women’s Lacrosse
Autumn Smith, LA Tech, Women’s Basketball
Kendall Maynard, MTSU, Women’s Golf
Elizabeth Cervantes-Vanderlugt, NM State, Swimming
Jaylen Phillips, Sam Houston, Football
Ema Uskokovic, UTEP, Volleyball/Beach Volleyball
Brooke Sleeva, WKU, Women’s Soccer

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After an impressive freshman season with UC Santa Barbara’s Men’s Water Polo team, Danilo Dragovic has been selected to represent Montenegro at the World Aquatics U20 World Championship in Croatia. This marks another achievement for the Gauchos, as he joins fellow player Dom Brown who debuted for Team USA earlier this year. Dragovic’s first match will be against reigning champions Hungary on June 14, followed by a game against host Croatia and then Team USA. The tournament runs through June 21, with all matches live streamed.

By the Numbers

• 34 steals, 35 goals, and 35 assists in the season for Dragovic, making him the Gauchos’ third-highest scorer.
• Recorded nine points across four games against top teams including UCLA, USC, and Stanford.

Yes, But

While Dragovic’s selection highlights his talent, there could be pressure as he faces elite international teams, which may test his skills further and impact Montenegro’s overall performance.

State of Play

• Montenegro will open its championship campaign against Hungary on June 14.
• Dragovic’s performance will be closely watched after a notable collegiate season.

What’s Next

Following group stage matches, Montenegro aims to advance to playoff rounds from June 17-20, with hopes for a strong performance leading to the finals on June 21.

Bottom Line

Dragovic’s representation at the U20 World Championship is a significant milestone, showcasing not only his individual talent but also elevating the profile of UC Santa Barbara’s water polo program on an international stage.

The University Interscholastic League’s Legislative Council is set to meet Wednesday, June 11, in Austin, where proposals to sanction new sports, implement a basketball shot clock, and alter playoff rules will take center stage.

The all-day meeting will be held at the Westin Austin at the Domain, beginning at 8 a.m. with a business session followed by a public hearing featuring scheduled presentations from leaders of athletic organizations and public stakeholders. Speakers are expected to advocate for changes ranging from eligibility rules to the expansion of UIL activities.

Among the most prominent proposals is the addition of new UIL-sanctioned sports. Boys volleyball, girls flag football, bowling, table tennis, and lacrosse are among the activities being pitched, along with cultural and performance programs like Ballet Folklórico and TDEA dance.

The athletic committee, scheduled to meet later in the day, will take up a series of proposals including the formal adoption of a shot clock for basketball, the creation of a Class 3A soccer division, and removal of pilot status from the water polo program. Other proposals include allowing instant replay in all playoff games, setting a mileage cap for travel in postseason contests, and modifying rules around off-campus PE participation.

The committee will also hear staff reports related to sportsmanship, playoff structure, and pilot program evaluations. Though the public hearing allows outside input, the committee’s business meeting does not accept external presentations unless clarification is needed by committee members.

Additional proposals address player eligibility, including the impact of school transfers and student grade retention as well as coaching certification and playoff seeding formats. One proposal would give home field advantage in the first round of playoffs to all district champions.

Final decisions on which proposals move forward to the full council are expected by day’s end.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State track and field teams wrap up the 2024-25 season with nine Wildcats competing in the four-day NCAA Championship starting on Wednesday (June 11) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The first two days of the meet will be streamed on ESPN, the final two days on ESPN2. Each individual event can be streamed separately on ESPN+.
 
Six women and three men will compete across ten individual events after earning a qualifying spot at the NCAA West Preliminary on May 28-31. Featured women include Sharie Enoe (high jump), Jourdin Edwards and Safhia Hinds (400 meter hurdles), Monique Hardy (hammer throw), Tamaiah Koonce (discus throw) and Shalom Olotu (long, triple jump). The three participating men include Riley Marx (javelin throw), Selva Prabhu (triple jump) and Emil Uhlin (men’s decathlon).
 
With the men’s first day of competition on Wednesday, the men’s decathlon will kick off at 2 p.m., CT with the 100 meter dash. The following events include the long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 meters. Marx will compete in the javelin throw that afternoon at 7:15 p.m.
 
On Thursday (June 12) the men’s decathlon will wrap up with the remaining five events starting at 11:45 a.m., CT with the 110 meter hurdles. The women will then start their first day of action, the hammer throw beginning at 3:30 p.m., the long jump at 7:40 p.m. and the quarterfinal 400 meter hurdles race at 8:14 p.m.
 
Prabhu will be the only Wildcat to compete on Friday (June 13) in the triple jump at 7:10 p.m., CT. On the final day of competition on Saturday (June 14) the women will start at 2:30 p.m., CT in the discus throw. The remaining Cats hit the field at 7:30 p.m. in the high jump and the triple jump, at 8:10 p.m. Should Edwards or Hinds finish in the top-9 on Thursday, the 400 meter hurdles final will take place at 9:27 p.m.
 
Olotu is the first K-State woman in 10 years, since Akela Jones, to compete in two events individually at the outdoor NCAA Championship. In 2015, Jones won the women’s heptathlon with 6,371 points and then went on to finish 4^th in the high jump at 1.87m (6′ 1 ½”). Olotu reached the highest stage in two events after significant personal bests at the West Preliminary, 6.44m (21′ 1 ½”) in the long jump, the no. 4 best outdoor mark at K-State, and 13.45m (44′ 1 ½”) in the triple jump.
 
Uhlin, a senior from Falun, Sweden will compete in his second NCAA Championship decathlon. During his freshman season in 2022 he earned Second Team All-America honors after finishing in 12^th place with 7,546 points. At the Drake Relays Uhlin recorded his best decathlon performance at 7,788 points, the no. 6 best score in the K-State records.
 
This is the first outdoor championship appearance for eight Wildcats, Enoe and Hardy have previously competed in the indoor championship in the high jump and weight throw, respectively. The outdoor Big 12 championship on May 15-17 propelled the athletes to personal bests, the momentum leading them to qualifying marks.
 
Hinds, this season’s 400-meter hurdles Big 12 Champion, is looking for her first NCAA title. A transfer from South Plains College, she claimed the NJCAA title in the same event last year in 58.31 seconds and was part of a winning 4×400 relay team in 2023. Her conference title winning time of 55.90 seconds remains her fastest time and the no. 2 best in the school records.
 
Enoe is looking to add to her trophy case this season as she earned First Team All-America honors in the high jump this indoor season, consistently aiming towards her best height of 1.88m (6′ 2″). Advancing past the Preliminary’s for the first time, Hardy’s personal best of 68.07m (223′ 4″) in the hammer throw claimed 3^rd place in the conference meet.
 
Prabhu, the freshman from Madurai, India, arrives in Eugene with the 3^rd best triple jump in the NCAA this season at 16.49m (54′ 1 ¼”). His personal best earned him the runner-up spot during the West Prelims and the no. 3 spot in the K-State outdoor records. Marx threw over 70 meters three times this season, including his personal best of 72.58m (238′ 1″) for 4^th place during the Prelims, the no. 2 best throw in the K-State records.
 
Edwards saw steady progress in the 400 meter hurdles during the postseason, racing under 57 seconds for the first time during the Preliminary semifinal race in 56.73 seconds to finish 7^th overall. Koonce had her best performance of the season in the discus throw as the 6^th place finisher in the Prelims at 55.99m (183′ 8″), just six inches shy of her personal best from last season.
 
NCAA Championship Schedule
 
Wednesday, June 11
2 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon 100 Meters (Emil Uhlin)
2:40 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Long Jump (Emil Uhlin)
3:55 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Shot Put (Emil Uhlin)
5:10 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon High Jump (Emil Uhlin)
7:15 p.m. – Riley Marx (men’s javelin throw)
8:43 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon 400 Meters (Emil Uhlin)
 
Thursday, June 12
11:45 a.m. – Men’s Decathlon 110 Meter Hurdles (Emil Uhlin)
12:35 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Discus (Emil Uhlin)
1:45 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Pole Vault (Emil Uhlin)
3:30 p.m. – Monique Hardy (women’s hammer throw)
4:15 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon Javelin (Emil Uhlin)
7:40 p.m. – Shalom Olotu (women’s long jump)
8:14 p.m. – Jourdin Edwards, Safhia Hinds (women’s 400-meter hurdles quarterfinal)
8:43 p.m. – Men’s Decathlon 1,500 Meters (Emil Uhlin)
 
Friday, June 13
7:10 p.m. – Selva Prabhu (men’s triple jump)
 
Saturday, June 14
2:30 p.m. – Tamaiah Koonce (women’s discus throw)
7:30 p.m. – Sharie Enoe (women’s high jump)
8:10 p.m. – Shalom Olotu (women’s triple jump)
9:27 p.m. – women’s 400 meter hurdles finals (if advance)
 
 

— k-statesports.com —

 
How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.

WKU Athletics named Lee Wood as the Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Monday morning, filling the gap on the Hill left by the sudden passing of Brent Chumbley on Jan 30.

Wood has served as interim head coach since the position opened, leading the Hilltopper men’s team to a fifth-place finish in the 2025 Conference USA Outdoor Championship, their best finish since 2019.

“We are excited to name Lee Wood our next Director of Cross Country/Track & Field,” said WKU Athletics Director Todd Stewart in a press release. “Coach Wood guided the program admirably this spring following Coach Chumbley’s passing.”

Wood ran for Missouri Southern from 1998 to 2000 before transferring to the University of Arkansas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. He later obtained a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

“It is a great honor to be the next Director of Cross Country and Track and Field at WKU,” Wood. “This team has had a great amount of success and winning tradition in the past, and I’m ready to build on the foundation that has been set.”

Wood began his coaching career with 12 years of experience at the 7A high school level, winning seven state championships with Rogers High School and Heritage High School in Arkansas. He was scooped up by Western Colorado University, an NCAA Division II school, where he spent the first five years of his collegiate coaching career.

Before arriving on the Hill in December of 2023 to lead the WKU Cross Country and distance teams, Wood served as head coach at Drury University. As a Panther, he led over 70 athletes to break school records, leading the women’s team to their highest conference finish in program history.